Philadelphia becomes new epicenter for ‘toxic smog’ from wildfires in Canada as air reaches ‘dangerous’
Philadelphia has now become the epicenter for toxic smog from Canadian wildfires after air quality in the city reached “dangerous” levels.
An air quality index recorded last night reached 431, with 500 being the highest and worst, due to lingering smoke from wildfires blanketing the city.
The index is a measure of five common pollutants and runs on a scale of 0 to 500, with a score over 150 considered ‘unhealthy’.
Advice given by Air nowurges people to stay indoors and reduce activity levels due to the toxic air outside.
While New York City had recorded the world’s worst air quality Wednesday afternoon, Philadelphia took the top spot last night.
People living in the city are now being urged to stay indoors and avoid strenuous activities
The smoke cast a haze over the Philadelphia skyline, seen here from New Jersey
A view of the smoke-covered Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia on Wednesday
Philadelphia Public Health announced that they went to Code Red because of the smoke because of the unhealthy air
On Wednesday morning, Philadelphia Public Health announced they had moved to Code Red because of the unhealthy air because of the smoke.
Advice from the city is urging people to wear a high-quality mask outdoors, avoid any kind of strenuous activity, and circulate air in homes using fans and AC units.
The smog is now expected to move southwest after a change in winds, but is expected to linger for the next few days.
Wednesday night’s baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Detroit Tigers was canceled due to air quality.
Photos taken of the city show a thick white smog descending on it, with some of the notable landmarks covered in smoke.
On Wednesday night, Joe Biden directed his administration to use “all available federal firefighting resources” to help fight the fires.
The White House said Biden gave the order after speaking with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the developing wildfire situation.
A reading of the call read: “The President has directed his team to deploy all available federal firefighting resources that can help rapidly suppress fires impacting Canadian and American communities.”
CBS Philadelphia meteorologist Andrew Kozak shared a video of himself on Twitter Wednesday night urging residents to stay indoors.
He said, “As if it couldn’t get any crazier today, Philadelphia has officially been placed in the hazardous air quality category.
“It means staying indoors at all costs, avoiding the outdoors. Even the most healthy individuals will suffer from the smoke.
“Leave the AC on or at least run the fan, and always wear the mask when you have to go outside.”
The Benjamin Franklin Bridge in the city is barely visible in this photo because of the thick smog
The baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Detroit Tigers was canceled due to air quality.
Smoke from the fires in several parts of Canada has been moving into the US since last month, but intensified with a recent spate of fires in Quebec, where hundreds are burning and are considered uncontrollable.
The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center database shows about 430 fires raging in nine provinces and two territories. More than half got out of hand.
In addition to the state of Pennsylvania, air quality alerts have also been introduced in states such as Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Maryland, Illinois, Virginia and the Carolinas, according to the National Weather Service.
Health experts have warned that inhaling the mist could be as harmful as smoking 22 cigarettes a day.
Nanoparticles from the smog are so small that they can enter the lungs and bloodstream, causing side effects such as eye and throat irritation and difficulty breathing.